I need advice on how to make these things. They're circular

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Here's a replica. The only site I've found selling these has them out of stock completely. For something so small they're really in demand.

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Here's what it looks like with the full armor, they were used both for decorative purposes and as a protection for the armpit against sword or dagger strikes.

>>1231042
I'm a knife maker. Been making them for 21 years.

One of my fantasies has been to make my own set of full plate proper steel armor. Just because.

>>1231052
Wouldn't it limit your arm movement?

>>1231042
You'll want an annealed steel, so its soft.
Easiest way for starting out would be to dish-out the shape in a block of wood, put the sheet over the top and peen in the shape- or using a dolly mounted solidly to something and peening the steel over the top. Once you've got enough, cut them out and weld them together.

Actually making it out of one piece of steel... dunno, that's a very high degree of metalworking that I can't do

>>1231042
looks like just a circle of metal that they stamped downward to make wavy, and then trimmed to make the flower-like shape

>>1231150
its for jousting, your right arm wont be going that far forward anyway

note also that little hook-like thing; its for resting your jousting pole on

>>1231042
These were traditionally made via a metalworking procedure called "Dapping"

A block with a concave shape is a "Dapping block". Onto which the metal to be formed is placed and secured. A "Dapping Pin" is pressed against the metal sheet near the edge of the concave surface and struck with a hammer. Repeated blows around the surface deform the metal to take on the shape of the concave surface in the forming block.

You could easily do this with a manual English wheel, I build custom fairings for motorcycles...would take a bit of practice but if you can cut the circle you can roll the metal in that shape

>>1231151
>dish-out the shape in a block of wood, put the sheet over the top and peen in the shape

exactly

>>1231158
so its literally just stamping/pressing

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most of the armourers I know would likely work that from the back for a single pass, using a soft lead block for support, and a blunt (ish) cold chisel to crease in the lines for a first pass, but you could probably also do it on a crisp-edged anvil from the front, if you're comfy with working without a guide line.

Graham Ashford's videos should give you a good indication of the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK_JU98maE8

In fact, just watch all his videos. He's a good bloke, always good to talk to.

I'm inclined to say if you wanted deeper than that sort of fluting, crisp up the edge on the edge of the anvil, then deepen the hollows slightly on a shot bag for more depth. the hard part there will be working each petal in turn is likely to put in stresses, so you might want to do heat cycling to normalise and avoid it going pringle-shaped. counting them clockwise I'd probably do them 1, 3, 5, 7, 6, 4, 2, 8. That might help the metal's tendency to twist during shaping, if you just went 1-8 in order.

However, I would be very hesitant on "11 inches in diameter" - that sounds grossly oversized, and would have a pair of dinnerplates dangling off your shoulders. Most of those I've had my rotten hands on in museums tended to be between 12-16cm, so about 5 to 6.5 inches. real ones are also normally pretty thin - you can easily work these in 20ga assuming you're working in CS60/1050, and 18ga mild. 16ga shouldnt be needed unless you're doing BOTN/HMB/ACL events.

Of course, you could just do a light dishing without the petals and have plain rondel besagews, so you have a working set before fluting your final pieces. In all honestly, I'd say that's a wiser plan, as it will let you get a good idea of the right size for you.

Alternatively, download Mac's brain. Pic related. That marvellous bastard.

>>1231222
came here to say mac, pleased to have been beaten to it.

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=169445

hard to believe he's almost finished the st. florian. hope we get to see it in the field some day, 'cause i reckon that's his swan song.

>>1231546
that's a good read. it's nice when people write up and include a visual guide of every process they do in work logs instead of saying i started with doing a (with a pic of a), did b and c, then ended up with the finished d (with a pic of d).

>>1231222
>>1231546
this is great

>>1231042

I'd go with cutting a steel circle, taking a hammer and use thick steel plate to form the ridges, then using round head hammer to give the leaves their form, probably by placing the thing over a hollowed peace of wood as not to damage the ridges, or search youtube for armor making videos, probably you'd find the exact method

>>1231042
If i were going to attempt it... Now keep in mind I don't generally work sheet metal, but... I'm going to throw this out there. Cut circles out of your 16 guage and fold them in half and then bend them back out so you have a crease across the circle. Do this again for each of those ribs. In your picture you have 4 folds worth of those ridges. That should give you the peaks you're looking for. Lay it down on a thick wood block, get yourself a ball peen hammer and between each rib you pound, dishing out that face there. It would be slow, and you're going to mess up, so try it a few times. Be a good end of summer project at the very least. That's how I would go about it. 16 guage is thin enough you shouldn't need heat, and with some practice this could be a niche you could fill if you get good at it. I'm sure renfairs could use these.

>>1233320
Bend a piece of 16ga back and forth and you'll end up with shitty lines and stress cracks. Take the earlier guy's advice >>1231151
and just dish & crease these things. Dap/peen after creasing to deepen the cups if you want.